


Possession

by ibeta



Series: Work in Slow Progress [6]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Consensual Possession, M/M, Possession AU, There's A Tag For That, flustered everyone, tolsmolsmol, what do you call this pair, why is papyrus puff he is badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-05-03 12:35:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14569128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibeta/pseuds/ibeta
Summary: Sans hits a roadblock and realizes there's something in him that wasn't there before.A new neighbour.---Asgore lied about the late Prince being possessed by a demonic spirit. (It was the human child that had done it, desperately wishing to free monsterkind.)





	1. possessed

**Author's Note:**

> Red possessing Sans.

Sans shakily got to his feet, eyeing the sudden wall that had ruined his shortcut. The intricate wall hadn't been there the last time he took a shortcut to this place. It was really suspicious of it to be located in the middle of nowhere.

A rough, growly voice interrupted his quick thoughts. ' _shut up, shut up! gods! fuck. gods damn it, my head hurts—_ '

Sans froze, eyelights disappearing. He glanced around, turning, looking for the voice.

' _fuck!_ ’ the voice snarled again, ‘ _did i get knocked in the head or something? this better be not some stupid joke. fucking knock knock!_ '

Smile twitching despite his wariness, Sans asked, "who's there?"

The voice went quiet. And then he said, ' _wh... where?_ '

Sans felt a little better about this weirdness. At least he wasn’t the only one confused. "where who?"

' _yeah, where the fuck am i?_ ' the voice snapped, sounding both irritated and upset.

Sans felt like snickering, but also felt guilt at the base of his spine. Some poor monster was having a bad day, huh? Sans understood bad days like the back of his bones. He cleared his intangible throat at the waiting silence and uttered, "it’s a snowy day out, so you're in the snowdin forest, bud."

There was that unusual silence again. Sans could count the minutes with his phalanges. ' _...fuck,_ ’ the voice said to him in a rather broken, uncertain tone, ‘ _that can't be true. snowdin doesn't… have snow... i... i think._ "

Sans shifted on his feet. "snowdin has snow," he said, gesturing towards the white expanse of the trail he’d left behind. “lots and lots of snow. _snow_ thick you can carve monuments out of it. you can even say it’s like the town’s _snowed-in_.”

' _shit, that’s fuckin’ horrible!_ ’ the monster laughed, and then sighed right after, ‘… _but maybe yer right. i hit my head fuckin’ hard if it hurts like this._ '

"where are you?” Sans asked, finally at the level of curiosity that was appropriate. That’s what he should have asked in the first place, right? “i can't see you." Sans turned around again. Based on the weight of that voice, he had to be close enough to hear, but… But there was nothing visible in the distance. Nothing but snow and twigs and trees.

' _fuck._ ’ Sans raised a browridge at that. How many times had the monster cursed in his presence? Stars… Rarely did monsters resort to that kind of language. The monster then added hastily, “ _i mean, i can't see with my eyes closed, so ya gotta be somewhere, yeah? i hit my head and my eyes burns like hell._ '

"are you okay? does anything else hurt?" Sans scanned the woods again, this time with more magic. Where was the other monster? How was it possible that he couldn’t sense anything? There wasn't anyone near the vicinity. Maybe it was some kind of recording device? A phone? But that would be so... ridiculous, right?

‘ _i am just fuckin’ dandy and everything hurts._ ’

“who’s dandy?” Sans joked half-heartedly, scanning harder.

The voice ignored him and asked, ' _what do yer look like?_ '

Sans grinned. "i'm all bones," he replied with mirth. If only he could see him, the joke would have more _impact_ (heh).

The voice snickered, though it sounded shy this time. ' _yeah. i think i am, too. shit. i can't open my eyes yet. pain's fading, but it's still there,  yer know?_ '

"take your time," Sans murmured softly, pocketing his hands. He sounded like he was in pain, minutely cursing under his breath. He felt… guilty. Unusually guilty with a dash of regret and curiosity. He’d never heard this monster’s voice before. What an interesting feeling to have…

' _...shit. yer a nice one, ain'cha?_ ’ There was something about the monster’s tone that sounded hesitant, distrusting, and hopeful at the same time. ‘ _i… i don' think i've ever heard someone say that ta me before._ ’

"i can try healing you after this," he offered. It didn't take much to offer some kindness. It was with humans that he couldn't do that for. His brother was easier to love that way because of their family bond, but even more that Sans felt affection for him.

' _tch. thanks fer that, but... oh... i..._ '

Sans twitched, and then frowned. "what is it?"

' _i... i can't move,_ ' the voice said with growing panic, ‘ _i… i’m tryin’ ta move my arm, but nothin’s moving._ ’

Sans blinked, and then frowned even more. Wow, he really was frowning a lot right now. Usually he’d plaster a smile, but…

"where are you?" He could help the monster out if he found out where he was. He didn't know where the voice was located, but maybe it was difficult to see. Maybe he was in a part of Snowdin and... dropped a phone somewhere?

' _h-huh? no. ‘m not speaking through a phone. i'm... oh. i... can see snow._ '

So Sans was unknowingly speaking out loud again. He really had to curb that tendency. "see snow?"

' _yeah. uh. footprints up ahead, looks like it headed my way? but i don't remember being here… or remember anythin’ at all._ ' The voice shook with what sounded like fear. ‘ _i really can’t remember._ ’

Amnesia, Sans realized abruptly. He didn't think that applied to monsters. Could the person be... human?

' _shit, no,_ ’ the monster snapped, startling Sans with his vehemence. ‘ _i'm no stupid human. i know that at least. but i can't move._ '

There was a budding panic, but Sans was calm. "i'll find you," he promised quietly. He would do whatever it took to help him. It wasn’t good to be out right now. A blizzard was about to start.

The voice responded after a long moment. ‘ _...heh, thanks._ '

Sans took a step forward in his search, and then everything inside him lurched with shock. He heard a sharp gasp and his head started ringing with panic.

' _fuck! i moved, but holy shit, i—_ '

 _Oh no_.


	2. new neighbour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dread quickly filled Sans, but it wasn't his, or it was his. He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, it's not like I posted the whole 23K+ of it! *sweats*

Dread quickly filled Sans, but it wasn't his, or it was his. He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure. Sans quickly thought of the stories about demonic possession, about how the Prince had been possessed by some malevolent spirit (the human child, he reminded himself), about how some monsters died after contact with a demon (perhaps a human SOUL).

But as quick as those thoughts came, he challenged those thoughts on his own. He was a scientist. Demonic possession wasn't a subject that was overtly studied due to fear (Asgore had also lied about many things). Monsters knew fear was something primal, and that wariness was encouraged, but Sans wasn't wary. He was curious, and he encouraged such curiosity.

He wasn't dead, so that means the possession myth of monsters dying was some silly hoax monsters told at bedtime. He didn't feel out of control, so it meant that being overcome by a demon was something of a myth, _again_. He didn't feel evil, and his new neighbour didn't feel or sound evil. Sure, he cursed a lot, but who didn't? Was he even a demon? He wasn't human, but he was something, at least, and that was okay with Sans. He didn't like humans. If it had been a human, he would protest some more, but this was good.

This was okay. Or near-okay.

Sure, he had to share his body, but he didn't mind that. It was better than being alone, like many monsters fear, right? There was a positive side to this, his brother would convince him, and Sans believed in his brother’s conviction. He could find out if he could transfer his neighbour into a body. Maybe a robot? He wasn't sure how to make those, but he could find out.

' _shit, yer thoughts are like fucking bullets,_ ’ his neighbour swore. ‘ _i can't even... shit. i'm a fucking demon?_ ’ He sounded genuinely upset about that, Sans noted. ‘ _aww, shit. that's... that's such a crappy thing to be!_ ' Distress stabbed at Sans from every corner of his mind, but he had a _feeling_ it wasn’t his.

"you could be something else," Sans said after the storm of fear, dread and danger mellowed down to a simmering sadness. He was still calm. Why was he still calm about this? No, no—those weren't his thoughts. It was his neighbour's thoughts. He had to find out how to filter that, and soon. "you could be a monster ghost."

His neighbour’s voice was miserable, evidently upset. ' _but wouldn't they be able to move around? i know that, at least. i think._ ' And there it was again… Amnesia…

"that's right..." Sans murmured to himself. But wasn't there many different types of ghost? Maybe his new neighbour was something one of those. Better not be asking about it yet. It would be dangerous for his neighbour if anyone found out about him. There were some monsters who didn't like demons. To extract one...

Sans shuddered. Oh, stars, not even he would contemplate it. He’d seen how badly those extractions disconnected the possessed from the possessing.

' _yer… yer really are a nice one..._ ' his neighbour whispered.

"i'm not," Sans said. Because he'd done horrible things, and he wasn't that much of a nice person. He'd killed a murderous human brat before, one that was possessed.

The demon had left the child after several countless RESETs of time, but it always resurfaced to one place: the human. His memories only snapped back to him after random moments, and this was one of them. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the timeline’s erratic behaviour, or because he had accidentally swerved from whatever script the world had given him.

 _'RESETs... huh. that sounds... familiar..._ ' the voice yawned drowsily. Sans felt the strange shift in his mind, like his neighbour was getting comfortable. ' _i dunno what that means, but it sounds fucked up. i think i thought it was fucked up._ '

Sans didn't know what to make of another person that knew about the RESETs. Maybe his neighbour had access to his memories?

' _dunno if i can,_ ' the voice murmured sleepily. ' _but... i can't keep my eyes open._ '

"are you tired?" He didn't know anything about sharing bodies. What if his neighbour slept and then disappeared? Would that mean he accidentally killed him?

The presence inside him jolted. ' _shit. uh. no. yer... uh. yer really calm, like a fuckin’ monk, and... yer not threatening...?_ ’ he added insecurely. ‘ _i-i don’ think i felt this kinda calm before. i feel safe in ya._ '

Sans couldn't stop the blush that spread on his skull. "oh." No had had ever said that to him before. Well, no one had possessed him before, too, he thought.

His neighbour chuckled nervously. ' _i mean, it's like sleeping on a floating blanket, y'know?_ ’ Was that… Was he squirming? ‘ _steady beats, no anomalies. kind of like a white noise, but... even if i'm a lot scared, y'don't mean harm, do ya?_ '

Sans shook his head. "no." He couldn’t imagine hurting someone, even if they were sharing a body with him. He wasn’t a natural fighter. He was a pacifist despite his situation.

' _well, that's it. i think i can nap here._ '

Intent. Maybe it had to do with something. Sans was always calm, now. It wasn't as horrible as his apathy. He'd regained some little empathy here and there, and even if it came back, he knew how to make sure he acted like himself so no one found out about him. He was calm. He didn't like panicking anymore. He'd done that so many times that it was repetitive and silly and he thought it wasn't essential. Panicking did nothing for the RESETs.

He was calm.

' _yeah. calm's what i'll call it. even if i can't move... i mean. i guess i'd imagine this is what babies feel._ '

...he really hoped this wasn't some twisted magical pregnancy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... i have no words.


	3. knowing you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He would learn more about himself if he didn't have amnesia.

‘ _shit,_ ’ the voice gasped, chortling. ‘ _that’s gotta be fucked up, bud!_ ’ 

“i can’t help it,” Sans grumbled, just a tiny bit mortified that his thoughts had been caught at an unfortunate moment. He’d never heard of skeletons being pregnant before, so it wasn’t that far-fetched to think this could be one of the reasons it wasn’t mentioned.

Curiosity flooded him, tentatively. It wasn’t _his_ , once again. ‘ _how many skeletons are there anyway? someone must’ve said something by now._ ’

“...my brother and i are the only ones,” he confessed. It was true. He’d tried searching for the other skeletons in the Underground and found out they were the only ones left, or maybe the only ones in existence. “that’s why i don’t know anything.”

‘ _...shit. that’s sad as fuck. s-sorry i asked._ ’ Guilt, curiosity and confusion mixed inside him. Was the sharing of emotions going to be a natural side-effect?

Sans shook his head, smiling a little. “it’s not a problem. it’s just a fact.” He hadn’t even thought it was an issue. There were monsters around that were the last of their kind. Some of them were the long-lasting ones that aged long like a Boss Monster.

He couldn’t miss something he’d never known about. So what if they were the only skeletons? At least they weren’t the only weird ones out there. Monsters came in varying sizes and species, and not any of them found the differences disturbing. Monsters were monsters. It was always relieving to know they all had the same shape of soul.

Amusement followed after, and Sans tilted his head, trying to make sense if it was his or not. ‘ _i don’ think i’m yer kid, though. no familial urge... but i think i had a... family? s-so… maybe i did, before?_ ’ 

Sans pondered over that. Maybe his neighbour was someone who died? Amnesia after death... That could be... He didn’t know what he’d do if he forgot Papyrus. It was such a terrifying thought he’d rather not entertain. 

‘ _who’s papyrus?_ ’ his neighbour asked, and Sans’ thoughts immediately filled with his brother’s smile, laughter and comforting hugs. He could feel the short embrace that Papyrus had bestowed upon him this morning, warmth of sweet affection wrapping him in a soft blanket. His smile widened, his body relaxed, and his SOUL reflected the emotions he’d felt when Papyrus had handed him a pillow, too. 

‘ _what..._ ’ his neighbour breathed, awed. ‘ _oh... yer… yer space flashed a bit._ ’ 

Sans blinked and glanced around. There wasn’t anything but snow. “flashed?”  
  
‘ _like… white light, so damn bright,_ ’ his neighbour explained quietly. It was a strange thing to hear that someone knew what his emotions looked like. Did emotions translate differently to him? 

Sans didn’t understand what it meant for his neighbour, so instead he asked, “do you… want me to move around?” Was that the right thing to say? He hadn’t really expected a possession today. He also wasn’t sure how to feel about this yet. “i kind of need to go home before my brother does.” 

‘ _s-sure_ ,’ his neighbour sounded surprised, and there was an undertone of disbelief in his voice. ‘ _i… i mean… if y-yer don’ mind?_ ’ Insecurity again… 

“not at all.” Did his neighbour not live anywhere permanent before? Sans shook his head. He hoped his house was enough for the three of them – two of them – to share. 

There was an almost peaceful silence on both their end, if not for the underlying uncertainty between the two of them. Sans wasn’t sure if he was the one that felt reluctant, but he knew he was calm, so that meant— 

‘ _s-so… uh…_ ’ his neighbour began with a stutter, ‘ _w-who’s papyrus? i-if yer don’ mind me botherin’ ya._ ’ 

Sans wasn’t bothered – it was always a good thing to talk about his brother. It never bored him, telling people about Papyrus… his brother’s ideals and his brother’s goals in life. It was nice, because Papyrus strived to be so great. Sans always felt amazed that he’d managed to help with the evolution of such a cool skeleton. 

“he’s my little bro,” Sans whispered to himself as he started walking, feeling for his neighbour’s emotions so he wouldn’t hurt him. Who knew what his strong emotions could do? Intent was such a powerful thing in the Underground. To monsters, it was a source of every little thing that could go wrong or right. “he’s a lot of years younger than me and he’s really cool.” 

His neighbour hummed. ‘ _sounds like he’s **snow** popular._ ’ 

Sans was so surprised at the pun that he started laughing to himself, uncontrollably. “w-where’d that come from?” he wheezed. 

‘ _heh heh heh_.’ There was something cheeky about his neighbour’s words when he said, ‘ _so yer got a sense of humour, huh? thank stars it wasn’t some boring shit i got stuck with._ ’ 

“stars,” Sans gasped, clutching his non-existent gut as his grin stretched wide. Who knew his neighbour had a sense of humour like his? “i have to drop that on my brother.”

‘ _just credit it to me, o’course._ ’ 

Sans smiled shyly, turning his gaze down his fluffy slippers, feeling a little happier than yesterday. “i promise,” he whispered quietly, twisting his gloved hands together.

This… wasn’t so bad.

* * *

Snowdin was different from his thoughts of Snowdin. Or was it some messed up magical mess that fucked his memories? He really wasn’t sure. There were short bursts of ‘knowing’ that told him a lot of things were different, but he still couldn’t see a clear picture of it.

He had a feeling that the kindness he’d witnessed around here was new to him, along with the warmth pulsing gently around him, so calm and secure like it wouldn’t budge just for anything else. It felt like his… host was a home of his own, inside. It didn’t feel familiar, so it was probably new to him, this thing they now shared.

‘ _what’s your name?_ ’ he asked really quietly, hoping to be heard and not to be heard.

He didn’t really want to bother him with that question, but he had no choice. He needed a name for the guy who was caring for him, right? He’d never even had second thoughts of getting him extracted. From what the feelings had shown him, extraction was such a painful method that it could only mean a lot of death – _his_ death, in particular.

Sans had essentially signed away his life the moment he vowed to help him.

Who cared so much about _him_ that they’d go through all that trouble? It sounded like extraction was official, like a law that needed to be followed. What could he possibly offer to someone who probably didn’t need him anyway? He wasn’t sure who he’d been before, but he hoped he at least paid his debts.

It took a moment for his... keeper... to reply, distracted by the twigs on the ground. His keeper liked looking at the ground or at his sides, but never at the space above them. They had bird monsters, right?

“sans,” his keeper said, and his – _their?_ – mouth started stretching as he also dropped a smooth, “sans the skeleton.”

The irony was not lost on him and he guffawed, much to the other’s sound of disbelieving laugh. It probably wasn’t a good idea to get his keeper laughing in public like this. He should probably tone it down, but he really couldn’t help it. _Sans the skeleton!_

‘ _heh heh heh. nice one._ ’ Sans the skeleton? He hadn’t expected that!

“thanks, buddy,” Sans said after his laughter petered off. “so what’s your name? it can’t be any worse than mine.”

He frowned, or at least it felt like a frown. He hoped he had a face, whatever he’d been before he came into consciousness in Sans. He tried to dig hard into his memories, but it was like trying to find something solid in a sea of darkness…

He remembered nothing.

‘ _i dunno,_ ’ he said dejectedly, wishing for a moment that he knew something substantial. _Sans was nice. Why was he so nice? Did he deserve it?_ He wasn’t sure where he was from, but there was an instinct within him that screamed at the wrongness of this place.

Sans’ magic ghosted over the snow, invisible to the magical eye. “what about a surname?”

 _He at least hoped this wasn’t some twisted version of the afterlife. What if he’d been evil_?

‘ _don’t think i have one._ ’ Why did he know how to communicate with someone if he didn’t know anything? It irritated him to think of it, that he lacked vital information about himself but he knew what mustard tasted like, and he knew how to convince someone to buy even the shittiest item from… from… _somewhere_.

The light in his landscape dimmed a little, even if he was staring out at a well-lit glass window that showed a bar of some sort. He didn’t think it was his emotions, so it was Sans that made it a little darker inside. He wasn’t sure why Sans would be sad.

“that’s...” Sans trailed off, and then the view changed when he blinked, and he was facing more trees sprinkled with snow. Where were they? Hadn’t they just been staring at that strange bar? Grillby’s? “i mean…”

He made a hopeless sound as Sans sighed. ‘ _sad as fuck, i know,_ ’ he whispered, probing that melancholic sensation coming from around him. It was getting a little crowded. ‘ _yer feelin’ it real hard._ ’

His keeper shrugged. “heh. sorry.”

The emotions backed away, but slowly. Sans walked carefully on the snow, making a trail towards a large house in the distance. It looked homely, lived-in. There were decorations on it, little fairy lights along the roof and on the balcony hung a pretty neat pirate flag. 

It was… warm, but something about it nagged at his mind. He felt like he should know this house, but he hadn’t ever been here before, right? 

His keeper breathed out a mist of magic, an odd colour of light blue. It didn’t remind him of anything, but it was pretty for a nice type of magic. “i... well, we’ll find a nickname for you, soon.” 

‘ _...thanks, sans._ ’ 

He may not understand why Sans was strangely okay with letting him hitch a ride, but he wasn’t complaining. His keeper was good at keeping his emotions in check, which was odd to him. Sans’ emotions barely manifested at the right… amount. It was lacking that strange glow Sans had done when thinking of his brother. 

“no problem,” his keeper said nonchalantly. He didn’t understand how anyone would be okay with possession. How could Sans take this so lightly? “how about i introduce you to my bro? you’ll need to know about him, and he’ll want to know about you.” 

‘ _know about—_ ’ 

The sheer panic that bloomed inside him couldn’t be explained by mere words. His thoughts clouded, his nerves twitched and curved sharply, and he felt so, so tense. He wished he had something with him to ground him, but floating in space and feeling this panicky sensation was too fucking weird, so he drowned in his own emotions, clawing for help. 

He didn’t have to wait for long. Soft and sweet murmurs reached his hearing, coaxing him back into reality. He couldn’t ask for a better keeper, when the warmth grew stronger and stronger and stronger until the remains of his anxiety dropped from his SOUL. Sans’ presence was a hearth, a flame of home he didn’t remember. He hoped his past was something like this, warm and nice. 

“—then my bro picked it up and asked me what the monsters were doing in the pictures. i think they were more surprised i explained to papyrus about soul bonds. that didn’t stop me from pranking them, though. i had papyrus ask them all sorts of questions,” his keeper mused. 

‘ _w-what?_ ’ he whispered. What the fuck was he talking about? 

“i’m saying that i’m here, buddy. it’s okay, because i’ll help you.” 

He wished he could hide his face, but that would be stupid. Sans could feel what he felt. ‘ _i didn’t think that thought would send me into a fucking panic attack_ ,’ he mumbled. 

“p-t-s-d?” 

He growled lowly. ‘ _don’t know what the fuck that means, but if it’s the thing that just made me panic like a fuckin’ idiot, then that’s it._ ’ 

“heh.” Sans started walking again — when had they stopped? His vision started getting less hazy with so much emotion. Was he losing time? “i’ll help you out. i know what stuff to do to make it bearable.” 

There wasn’t anything to say to that, he figured, so he tried to offer his grateful emotions to Sans. Maybe he was some weak asshole in the past. Maybe he couldn’t handle the… the stupid things like that and just took the wrong dive at the wrong cliff. Maybe he was some idiot that wasn’t even worth the effort Sans was going through for him.

“i think he’s coming home soon, so we better get prepared.” Sans stepped through the open door – when…? When did they get here? Did he blink? “i have some extra hoods upstairs that we can get into.” 

‘ _...naked?_ ’ he asked, stunned at the idea that he’d be witnessing such a thing. 

Sans froze just as the door shut behind them.

“oh,” his keeper uttered with a weak laugh. “that... that’s...”

They both became silent. They shared a body, so it was impossible that something like that could be avoided.

‘ _...yer need to get dressed._ ’

Sans silently agreed with the assessment with a sigh.

* * *

There was an awkward silence after Sans got dressed with his sockets closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boring chapter of bores.
> 
> *I found out the sockets in the hallway worked! Got some energy from there.


	4. his warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “i don’t know.” Sans shrugged, fiddling with the remote. “sometimes they make friends. sometimes they stay for months, doing nothing but talking to monsters… sometimes they kill everyone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enter papyrus.

Sans sat on the couch, idly surfing the channels like he was a master surfer of channels. Only Mettaton starred in these shows, and most of them were intriguingly bland for some entertainer like the ghost in the robot. Despite him finding humour the first time it happened. He guessed the novelty drained fast after remembering the RESETs. Repetition of performance wasn’t really his thing.

He squinted at the clock hanging above the front door. Five or so minutes until Papyrus’ appearance. Sometimes Undyne waylaid his brother, or Papyrus would get distracted by the little ice floors. He could even take a different route home, but before events of a blizzard, his brother always took the shortest way home.

Something slow and drowsy stirred inside him again, drawing his attention. ‘ _what’s a RESET?_ ’

Sans had to think about the question, because he’d only just remembered some days ago about the RESETs. Even if he’d find out later about the looping with Alphys, it was just slightly better to know what they were going up against… or know if the human was homicidal at first glance.

“it’s a loop of time that happens at the whim of some human,” he explained as best as he could. “they can’t use it to go forward, but the human can go back to the time they last added in their SAVE file into the...system.”

‘ _system?_ ’

“they’re treating life like a game, so i thought it fit.”

‘ _...that’s insane,_ ’ his neighbour said flatly. There was a frustrated feel to his tone. ‘ _why’d... what do they even do to mess with time? why do it at all?_ ’

“i don’t know.” Sans shrugged, fiddling with the remote. “sometimes they make friends. sometimes they stay for months, doing nothing but talking to monsters… sometimes they kill everyone.”

Fury, frustration and indignation. Sans blinked at the emotions as his neighbour snarled, ‘ _even yer bro?!_ ’

Sans held onto his own emotion of calm, sighing. “yeah.”

‘ ** _that fuckin’ human,_** ’ growled his very, _very_ angry neighbour. ‘ ** _messin’ with things that shouldn’t be toyed with._** ’

“it’s a child,” Sans whispered, dragging out the memories, trying to show his neighbour why he hadn’t taken the chance to just kill them on the spot. In those timelines, he’d given his word to look out for the human. His integrity had made sure he kept true to the spirit of his word, no matter how many loopholes he could have exploited when the child had… had killed his brother. “i guess they don’t know why things like that shouldn’t happen.”

‘ _that’s one fucked-up kid, sans!_ ’ His neighbour huffed and growled and snarled and stayed angry. Sans felt like he was caging a live beast inside him, but that was okay. He was starting to understand where their emotions separated. He’d never known anyone who’d ignore the child part of the human and instead focus on their mistakes.

“...they sure are,” Sans agreed after a moment of relishing such new-ness. It was strange for someone to agree with him on that point.

‘ _besides, they’re not a fucking kid,_ ’ his neighbour snarled. ‘ _not since they’ve done this so many times that they’ve made yer suffer years of this!_ ’

“oh.” That... that was true, wasn’t it? The kid remembered. The kid’s memories aged. They weren’t a kid, because they’ve done this over and over again, and… that meant they were very old, now. Old enough to be a legal human, like on the Surface.

‘ _they’re a true fuckin’ monster fer doin’ this ta yer_ ,’ his neighbour quietly murmured. ‘ _givin’ yer hope like that... makin’ yer believe ya finally had yer freedom... and then fuckin’ those dreams up. that’s not a mistake, sans. tha’s a fuckin’ attack. they shouldn’t have done that._ ’

Sans was about to agree with him, to thank him for making him realize the human wasn’t a child, to tell him that many monsters believed that the human was a child, and to tell him that there was a queen behind the Ruins that wouldn’t agree with him. Them.

But then the door opened, and a powerful gust of wind and snow came inside. Sans brushed it off his shoulders and glanced up, and everything inside him blanked out, then turned warm, warmer, and softer, and faster, so easier to move and relax.

_Papyrus…_

His brother beamed at him brightly, shaking off the snow from his scarf and ridding himself of the snow on his boots. He wore a brown winter coat on top of a white dress-shirt and a pair of dark pants. It wasn’t the battle body yet. Not yet, until some weeks later. A few months later, maybe.

“SANS, WE HAVE TO LOCK THE DOORS AND WINDOWS,” his brother announce cheerily. “THERE IS A SNOWDIN BLIZZARD APPROACHING!”

Ah, the blizzard. He’d nearly forgotten about it. “sure, bro.”

So it was that response... Sans smiled, patting at the side of his seat on the couch. His brother skipped over with one boot off, laughing. Papyrus was the type to enjoy the noise outside during a blizzard, because the piles of snow tomorrow would cover everything, and such was a time when the two of them made mockeries of themselves with snow near the Ruins.

“WE NEED TO SHOP FOR FOOD,” Papyrus mused, disrobing himself of his outer garments. Sometimes he made a complaint of Sans being messy, but during times like this, his brother was too busy to think about the mess he was making on the arm of the couch. “I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME LEFTOVER PASTA FROM YESTERDAY, BUT I WILL HAVE TO CHECK.”

“i’ll get it,” Sans volunteered, hiding a smile as he looked away. Curiously, the voice inside him was silent, but there was a feeling of quiet awe, blooming beside his emotions. “do you want me to get a bunch of oatmeal?” They still had enough of those, but at the Capital.

“PLEASE!”

“okay.” Sans thanked the stars he’d chosen the right coat this time. The last time there was a blizzard, he’d only had his shirt and a pile of snow inside his ribs to show for it.

He was hugged by his happy brother, and Sans laughed, hugging back, getting a nuzzle on top his skull for his efforts.

“THANK YOU, BROTHER!”

And then Papyrus covered his neck with a scarf and then coaxed him out the door like Sans would change his mind if he didn’t.

The scarf was warm with Papyrus’ magic, the scent of it pleasing his senses.

The moment he was out in the snow, he sought a quiet place in the woods and dragged himself into a shortcut, landing in an alley behind an old building. There were streetlights on the capital, but it was something managed by the fire-based magic users of the area, and only during darker days.

Just as he was about to walk out into the open, his neighbour spoke up, hesitantly.

‘ _that was... yer bro?_ ’

Sans paused, eyeing his surroundings before he mumbled a quiet but affectionate, “yeah. isn’t he cool?”

His neighbour fell into a contemplative silence before answering, ‘ _he made yer... glowy. in here, i mean. it was warm, and it kinda felt like some full-body hug was going on, except i could... breathe...?_ ’ Sans had a feeling his neighbour was nodding. ‘ _yeah. i could breathe easier, if that makes sense to ya._ ’

Sans stiffened, and then relaxed. He pocketed his hands and sighed lightly, stepping out into the open. “that’s... probably because i love him,” he mumbled, shrugging a shoulder.

Love was something that felt really nice. It ached sometimes, but it was something so exciting and relaxing at the same time. His soul would pulse harder near Papyrus, but it would also glow almost lovingly inside him.

‘ _...is tha’ a normal thing here?_ ’ his neighbour inquired quietly. Sans nearly faltered at the insecurity in his neighbour’s voice. ‘ _loving brothers and stuff... yer niceness, and all them weird decorations at snowdin… yer all so free here with feelings they’re making m’ teeth ache from the sweetness of it._ ’

Sans wasn’t sure what to make of his neighbour’s wistful musings. Maybe his neighbour had a bad time somewhere? Maybe he’d lived in a bad place before. He’d lived in weird places before, but that was… He…

“i don’t remember,” he confessed. He... There were so many RESETs that he’d forgotten so many societal norms he’d usually know. He didn’t even remember if loving his brother was allowed. He’d dropped those expectations several RESETs ago. All he knew was that he loved his brother, however he could love him.

His neighbour was quiet as they stepped over a cobbled road. Then, after a moment, he confessed, ‘ _...was nice. w-when he was in tha room. this place, where i am... it lit up. felt s-safe, i think._ ’ Sans could hear his thoughts… his neighbour, breathing shakily. ‘ _i... i feel like… we had none-a that, wherever i’m from._ ’

There was a twinge of sadness and anxiety that followed him as he took more steps to the store, eyelights roaming over the place so his neighbour could see everything. Sans really didn’t know what to say, so he tried to offer more comfort with his emotions, trying to imagine how a hug could translate into something that his neighbour would recognize.

‘ _...heh. thanks,_ ’ his neighbour replied with a huff of amusement. Sans dropped his shoulders in relief, glad that his efforts worked. ‘ _yer a real nice one. sweet of yer. don’t know anyone else who’d do this fer me... to me._ ’

Oh, his soul… was it aching? “i’ll help you remember everything,” Sans whispered under his breath as he pushed open the doors to the store.


	5. kustard soup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘ _...sunlight?_ ’ his neighbour prodded hesitantly, like he didn’t know what to do with that thought. Maybe his neighbour wasn’t from here, then. ‘ _is tha’ stuff from the surface?_ ’

When he came back with his fabric bags filled with grocery, he discovered that Papyrus had already set the table and pulled out the chairs. There was a nice scent coming from the kitchen, so he figured that Papyrus had gone and grabbed an actual cookbook from the library since blizzard cut off the nice, underground phone connections. It had something to do with the magical blizzard rampaging across Snowdin.

Sans leaned on the doorway and watched his brother dance around the kitchen with a happy smile. After a second of observing the interesting choreography, he maneuvered his way through Papyrus’ practiced steps, emptying his inventory inside the fridge, and the rest of the dry goods left at the counter so Papyrus could easily pick them up.

Curiously, his neighbour was silent again. There was a nice, steady hum of emotions beside his own, something that felt like his neighbour was basking under sunlight. Like a cat under the sun, he imagined.

‘ _...sunlight?_ ’ his neighbour prodded hesitantly, like he didn’t know what to do with that thought. Maybe his neighbour wasn’t from here, then. ‘ _is tha’ stuff from the surface?_ ’

Or maybe he was.

Sans pondered on how his neighbour knew about the sun, but then just shook his head. He wasn’t an expert on amnesia, but from the little hints of the other monsters remembering the human, maybe it was a subconscious thing.

“there’s a sun at the surface,” he agreed quietly, taking his place at the doorway again. Papyrus was humming distractedly, too focused on his work to take notice of Sans. “it looks like... bright light. a _very_ bright light, a circle on the sky even if it was a sphere.” He remembered seeing the sun for the first time, felt the heat on his bones and felt the wind that brought more scents from the forests. Then he remembered the second time, the third, the fourth... until it stopped being a novelty and just a boring light in the sky. Although, it felt new if he didn’t remember anything.

‘ _it looks weird,_ ’ his neighbour mumbled, though there was a thoughtfulness coming from him.

Sans smiled, amused. “it does, doesn’t it? stars look a lot better because there’s so many of them,” he murmured to himself. Stars were so beautiful… one shortcut to an unpopulated place at night and he’d seen such a beautiful blanket of constellations. If only humans didn’t have to cause so much light at night, then maybe he’d enjoyed his

Underneath a starry sky was a nice spot to stargaze. It would have been even better if the humans let them out to the countries that Sans wanted to stargaze. Sans remembered the way humans had outright resented them for taking up some land when monsters had owned them in the first place. The First Librarian had grabbed every scroll when they headed for the Underground. Asgore had mentioned it helped with getting back the lands they owned.

Fortunately, some of the lands had been magically hidden, and all of them had repelled humans from building all over it. There were countries with monster land that welcomed them back, and oddly enough, those countries had the best humans, because they were fascinated and excited at the signs of magic, and because they were countries that fought for monster rights. The rest of them… well, the less superstitious even got it into their heads that they were up to no good. It wasn’t fun.

‘ _humans and their fuckin’ greed for big spaces,_ ’ his neighbour snarled under his breath, more annoyed than angry. ‘ _so… rich people don’t even use their places…? why don’ they just have their shit rented? it’s better than leaving it empty._ ’

Sans was about to tell him about the currency at the surface when Papyrus spoke up.

“SANS!”

Sans snapped his eyelights back on his brother, not noticing that he’d been staring at air for a few minutes in his time of reminiscing. His brother was looking at him in concern, brows lowered with worry. “yeah?” he asked, shifting his feet so he stood more than he slouched. “what’s up, bro?”

“YOU WERE STARING QUITE INTENSELY AT THE FRIDGE,” his brother stated plainly, arching his brow. “ARE YOU HUNGRY? I’VE COMPLETED THE TASKS GIVEN TO ME BY THE COOK BOOK!”

Sans’ eyelights dropped down to the pot his brother was holding. Sans snickered when he realized that Papyrus had pulled over oven mittens on his gloved hands. It looked really silly, but it was practical of his brother, who’d never removed his gloves in the first place.

The vegetable soup looked delicious.

His neighbour stirred inside him with obvious interest. Sans figured they were both hungry.

“smells good and looks good, pap.” He looked up and winked at his brother, who smiled at him, sockets sparkling with magic. Noticing that his brother’s hands were full, he offered a lazy smile. “i’ll get the stuff and you put that on the mat.”

His neighbour moved around some more, and Sans imagined him sniffing the air and looking at Papyrus’ cooking. If he was like Sans the first time Papyrus had made this soup, he would have been salivating if he could.

‘ _shit, that looks fuckin’ good. is that... basil? i don’ think i’ve seen all that stuff before… but the potatoes and tomatoes... hey, i know those. and... peas? how’d ya get **peas** underground?_ ’

The questions were quick and continuous, so Sans murmured lowly under his breath and did his best to answer it while he grabbed spoons and maybe a fork and maybe some bowls. He was finally getting a feeling that his neighbour had lived somewhere isolated, without the regular monster food to keep him fed—

‘ _monster food?_ ’ his neighbour interrupted his thoughts.

Oh, stars, that... that wasn’t a joke, was it?

Sans paused at the doorway as Papyrus covered the table with cloth, humming. His magic was sparking visibly over the food, and from Sans’ observation, he could catch the stat boosts the food could give. HP boost, this time. It wouldn’t work on him, but... maybe it’d work on his neighbour?

“monster food helps with stat boost and it helps with growing food,” he said out loud, and Papyrus’ attention swiftly went to him, immediately agreeing even if he had no idea why Sans was talking about it. Sans smiled fondly. “with just a little bit of kindness and patience, monsters can grow farms of vegetables with just a few seeds, so anyone can grow their own food.”

He tried to explain it as best as he could, his SOUL thrumming with sympathy for his neighbour. He’d always known about monster food. His neighbour... had he even tasted how amazing monster food was?

There was shock, and then silence. And then there was sadness.

‘ _i don’t think so,_ ’ his neighbour whispered. ‘ _kindness don’t ring a bell. patience... fuck, yeah, i understand that. waiting  for the right moment to—”_

“SANS, STOP STANDING THERE AND PLACE IT ALL DOWN! I TRULY WANT TO TEST THE BOOK’S PARTICULAR STYLE OF COOKING. PERHAPS THIS IS A TECHNIQUE THAT I CAN TEACH UNDYNE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD SURELY BE PROMOTED THEN!”

Sans hurried over and his neighbour chuckled, musing that Papyrus was so energetic, that Papyrus was nice, and that Papyrus was sweet to cook for them. For Sans, though he’d count his neighbour as another person that Papyrus could serve food.

‘ _yer brother’s unreal._ ’ There’s a feeling of fond wistfulness, like his neighbour felt fond of his brother already. Sans felt... happy. He was glad someone could appreciate how amazing his brother was, how thoughtful and sweet... how cool he is to even bother cooking. Sans didn’t think anyone else could be like his brother. ‘ _yer right about that, sweetheart. i don’t think even my bro is that nice._ ’

There was a pause as they... as he watched Papyrus with wide sockets, a sudden chill running down his spine. He felt...concerned, he thought, but it wasn’t his. It was his neighbour’s.

‘ _oh. i have a brother?_ ’ He sounded terrified and disappointed and anguished.

Oh boy.

Sans hoped he wouldn’t accidentally shortcut from the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when someone says 'no comment,' and yet they say, 'no comment,' does that mean they _did_ comment, 'no comment'?


	6. peas and soup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Red..._ It fit him.

His neighbour stayed quiet even if his emotions stormed over Sans’ sea of calm.  He couldn’t hear anything, but there was something in the storm that told him his neighbour was...  _ruminating_. Perhaps he was thinking of his own life, whatever it could be.

If he did have a brother… Sans hoped they got along and that his brother was doing well. He wouldn’t know what to do if Papyrus was left all alone on his own, with nothing but that flower as his companion.

“SANS.”

He looked up to see Papyrus frowning at him. “bro…?”

“YOU’VE BEEN DISTRACTED, BROTHER. IS SOMETHING THE MATTER?”

Sans swallowed a mouthful of the food, savouring the taste on his magic. “...no?” At least, he hoped there wasn’t anything wrong. His neighbour wasn’t talking. He wasn’t sure if that was a normal thing or not. It wasn’t… He’d slightly gotten used to his neighbour taking in everything and making comments about everything, so Sans felt off when he was quiet.

Papyrus placed his utensils down, eyes trained on him. Sans fidgeted with his spoon, shifting his gaze elsewhere. It was a familiar tactic of Papyrus to gather up whatever it was that he’d observed Sans to do until he had some kind of conclusion. Looking at him made Sans more susceptible to folding. He usually did...

But he couldn’t do that. Not now, when there was someone inside him in danger of being extracted. And from what he’d witnessed of extractions, it was violent, painful and dangerous for the monster and the soul in question. No monster was the same ever again. There were rumours that only strong monsters survived possession and extraction, but it wasn’t something he would care to try.

His neighbour wasn’t that bad.

“just... huh.” His neighbour was turning around, like he was starting to come up from what memory he was remembering. Sans felt it when they synchronized again, looking back at his brother and smiling. “something on my mind, that’s all.”

His brother raised an incredulous brow. “WHAT IS IT?”

Sans dropped his gaze onto his bowl, and then he twirled his spoon inside, contemplating what to say. He knew what he wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure if Papyrus would keep a good secret. It wasn’t just his secret to keep, too.

 _‘jus’ go ahead,’_  his neighbour murmured, and gave him what felt like an encouraging nudge.  _‘yer brother... he’s nicer than mine.’_

“do you think...” he started quietly. “i... i mean... do you remember all those times asgore warned people about possession?”

“SANS?”

He glanced up reluctantly, seeing Papyrus’ worry. “heh. i was wondering, you know. we never know how it happens. we find out and the king extracts them and then they’re gone. i wonder sometimes... what happens when a good demon possesses a monster?”

“I... I DON’T KNOW, BROTHER,” Papyrus murmured. There was that furrowed look he had when he was thinking seriously. “MAYBE THE KING WON’T EXTRACT THEM?”

Sans wanted to snort at that. Asgore may be Fluffybuns, but he’d seen what kind of damage the king could do. He wasn’t just extracting the souls. He’d also done some damage to the monster and the soul in his careless tearing. He’d done so to the human children. His council had overseen it and Sans wasn’t one to miss spying on them.

Sans hadn’t dropped in to the human extractions ever again. The horror of seeing the soul ripped from their body... He’d done his best to make the rest of the humans back away from the king, to warn them that it wasn’t a good idea, to give them hints that it wasn’t the best way to stay alive. He’d joked about it, he’d threatened it, and he’d begged them not to do it.

They hadn’t listened to a warning, not one. Humans were strangely courageous creatures, despite everything.

The monster extractions... Sans shuddered.

“do you think even the worst person can change...?” There was a thrum of emotions coming from his neighbour, a whisper-like sensation. “that everybody can be a good person if they just try...?”

Papyrus brightened, smiled and perked up in his seat. “OF COURSE, BROTHER!” he exclaimed with his usual great confidence. “WE HAVE MANY CHOICES GIVEN TO US, AND IT IS UP TO THE PERSON TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES! THEY MAY BE TEMPTED TO CHOOSE TO FIGHT INSTEAD OF GIVING MERCY, BUT AS LONG AS THERE IS HOPE, THEN THERE ARE MORE CHANCES TO GIVE!”

Sans’ mouth parted as he took in the glow of magic around his brother. His neighbour was amazed, taken away by the glow, too. It was... really pretty.

Sans blushed, realizing he was staring. “heh. you’re right bro. thanks,” he said, hurriedly scooping up more of the soup into his mouth.

Papyrus cleared his throat, gaze warm as Sans glanced up again. “...HOW IS THE FOOD, BY THE WAY?”

That startled his neighbour into laughing,  _‘oh my god.’_

“it’s really great,” he chuckled, taken aback by the emotions of delight and mirth. “you really smoked it.” He winked.

“...I STEAMED IT, BROTHER,” Papyrus said, dryly. But there was a smile on his face.

 _‘he has a one-track mind,’_  his neighbour chortled.  _‘he was just serious a moment ago!’_

Sans snickered. “i don’t think the vegetables  _carrot_  all.”

“SANS!” his brother chastised. “PUT YOUR JOKES AWAY FROM THIS TABLE!”

“but i just  _broth_  them with me, papyrus!”

Papyrus stiffened, and then he laughed. “...I’LL ADMIT THAT LAST ONE WAS A LITTLE BETTER IF YOU STOP IT.”

 _‘you’re two peas in a pod if he wasn’t so much in denial,’_  his neighbour wheezed.

“i’ll offer up a peas-full resolution.” And then he offered up his bowl to his brother.

“OH MY GOD.”

———

Sans wasn’t sure what to make of the red eyelights staring at him from the mirror.

_‘fuck.’_

Sans silently agreed with him. He knew without a doubt this wasn’t his magic at work. He’d been walking along the Snowdin trails and doing his rounds when he’d heard a twig snap in the distance. His neighbour had seized up and snarled, and suddenly he felt more feral ( _dangerous_ ) – and yet he wasn’t in danger. His magic had pulsed and immediately, bones had surrounded the twig.

A twig beside a giant stalactite of ice. There wasn’t anyone else.

It would have made sense for him to have bones around... Except it wasn’t white. It was a vivid shade of red, a warning for anyone that could see it. It was vibrant, the colour so saturated with violence. Sans hadn’t summoned it... so it must mean...

His neighbour.

So Sans had grabbed the bones and fled to the trees, taking a shortcut back to his room. He hid the bones and then went to change, but... Red. Red bones, red magic, red... everything.

He was staring at the mirror in the bathroom.

 _‘i don’t know how to stop it,’_  his neighbour said plaintively. Sans wasn’t sure he’d be able to, not when there was that feeling of wariness and danger, and something else that felt more aware.

“you’re...” Sans didn’t know what to say. Threatened? Wary? Alert? He’d felt those things before, but he’d never managed to be so... so primal that he’d manage to summon up that red shade of magic.

_‘primal?’_

“it’s that magic that runs completely on instinct,” Sans explained. “helps warn other people not to mess with you. you see a red warning and you avoid it. red attacks, too. boosts up the power of a monster, but it’s a survival instinct. works only when the monster’s backed into a corner, in complete danger, no escape and so on.”

 _‘oh... fuck.’_  His neighbour was... sad? Disappointed?  _‘i’m not sure i can stop it.’_

“it’s okay,” Sans tried to soothe him. He was still new to this possession thing, so he wasn’t sure if his imaginary hugging was working. He hoped it did. “i can hide in here and just tell everyone i’m sick.”

Panic grew inside him, but it was his neighbour’s.  _‘you can get sick?’_

Sans wasn’t sure. “...not that i know of, but i’ll make something up.”

 _‘but it’s my fault!’_  his neighbour spat out. The magic inside Sans, the one that wasn’t his, tightened.  _‘my fault!’_

Sans shook his head. “we’ll work on it,” he said. He’d just figure out a way later. “let’s... uh... take you somewhere that doesn’t have that kind of stimulation. you have any idea where you feel safe enough to calm down?”

 _‘i don’t know,’_  his neighbour whispered.  _‘everything’s so messed up.’_

Sans could tell. “what about papyrus?” Sans always felt cozy with his brother. He could relax beside him, maybe take a nap. He knew Papyrus would watch over him.

_‘our eyes are red... wouldn’t he notice?’_

“i’ll tell him i’m from another timeline,” Sans joked lightly. “he’ll think i’m pranking him again.”

His neighbour felt doubtful, insecure.  _‘i don’t know...’_

So Sans thought deeply on the things that calmed him down. He’d avoided loud places before, and he’d napped on Papyrus’ carpet, too. There were places in the Underground, like the Wishing Room, and then there was the capital, with the hustle and bustle and everything that helped keep his mind off things. Grillby’s was an option, but he’d rather stay on the couch or on the bed while Papyrus was out. Maybe he could nap on Papyrus’ bed. That was nice.

 _‘...is it soft?’_  his neighbour whispered tentatively.

Sans blinked. “soft?” he whispered back.

_‘the... the carpet.’_

“not really.” It just smelled like clean laundry because Papyrus outright avoided stepping on it. “it’s stiff.” But with a few adjustments, Sans could use a pillow and a quilt to set up camp.

His neighbour was... fidgeting?  _‘but... but wouldn’t tha’ hurt yer bones?’_

Sans shook his head. “why would it?”

 _‘...it’s ‘cause ya look real soft,’_  his neighbour said quietly, until his voice felt like a soft breeze.  _‘an’ all smooth bone, or something. but real soft.’_  The tenseness was slightly fading away to some sort of... soft rumble?

Sans’ browridge went up, and then he thought about it more. He took off his mittens, and his neighbour’s attention went with him as he took a cursory note of his hands.

 _‘yer hands are small, too,’_  his neighbour muttered. It felt... clear... and clean. Curiosity?  _‘is that why y’wear gloves? ta keep anyone from knowing?’_

“i’m too lazy to wrap it up with magic,” Sans corrected gently. The mittens had a lint-free cloth stitched so Sans wouldn’t have threads between his bones. “dirt could get into the joints and it’s tough to clean if it sneaks in. i can’t keep it too tight or i won’t be able to move, but i also can’t keep it too loose to wash it out.”

 _‘so ya don’t use magic tha’ much,’_  his neighbour noted.  _‘why?’_

Sans shrugged. “helps me save a larger reserve.”

_‘...i think i used mine a lot.’_

“oh?” Sans didn’t know that. Did his neighbour remember something? Maybe his brother?

 _‘fuck,’_  his neighbour swore.  _‘uh, yeah. i remembered my brother. i called him... boss? he wasn’t... he was... he was nice if ya weren’t lookin. he acts real mean when we’re out, and calls me some names, but he cooked fer us.’_

“he’s only nice when no one’s looking?” That... didn’t sound nice.

 _‘it’s fine,’_  his neighbour insisted.  _‘he wasn’ that bad – isn’t. fuck, i don’t know. i remember ‘im, but everything else is like... like i chewed on my memories and spit it out, and now there’s some holes in it. i don’t know when it happened. i’m just...’_

Sadness, frustration, and grief. It wasn’t unfamiliar to him, so Sans knew what he could do. He offered up his empathy, despite unwittingly bringing with him the memories of his own little brother dying and dying and dying. He couldn’t get rid of them now that his little red neighbour brought up siblings. He didn’t know how. They were a helpless part of him, memories that he hadn’t been able to prevent from happening. He’d been able to, at first, then the next timelines he couldn’t shortcut into Papyrus’ fight to save him. So he had watched, unable to do anything, because some power was preventing him from acting.

RESETs made everything feel brand new.  It was different each time the human fell. LOADs were more awful, more tiring, like he was dragging himself back, again and again and again in shorter distance, getting cut off each step he took. He hoped the human wasn’t that bad, this time.

 _‘tha-that... tha’s just fuckin’ awful,’_  his neighbour choked, sniffling.  _‘who’d even do that? yer bro’s real nice like ya. he’s no boss. my bro’s an asshole, but he’s a responsible one. he didn’t need ta take care of me, but he did. and yours is. he’s like sunshine. warm and bright and all.’_

Sans smiled at his hand, nodding his agreement. “he’s so cool, right? he likes to read all those complicated puzzle books and practice it.” Sans fondly recalled all those times Papyrus came to him for help, struggling to understand the books and quickly absorbing everything Sans rephrased. He was used to doing it for his brother so many times that it didn’t matter if he was busy. He found time.

On one birthday, Sans had found a watered, old copy of a dictionary. He’d handed it to his brother and now his brother knew a lot more about human words than he did. Boondoggle? Who even knew such a cool word existed?

 _‘...and y’read him those nice books,’_  his neighbour added quietly.  _‘tha’ was... tha’ was kind of ya. i did the same with my bro, but he just... grew up, i guess, and never needed it again. so i read to m’self in my room. didn’t have a bed, but i had a futon and a lamp. life was rough, but we managed.’_

“you’re a good brother...” Sans praised. It wasn’t a light praise, either. He knew how hard it was to make sure his brother didn’t get into too much trouble. He’d been such an energetic skeleton… Well, even more energetic than now.

His neighbour... blushed?  _‘t-thanks. i... i don’t know about that, but... thanks.’_

A flutter descended inside him, something light and flowing, curling back. Reluctantly, Sans glanced up at the mirror, noting that his eyelights were white again. “oh. we’re back to the basics again.”

 _‘oh!’_  his neighbour exclaimed almost breathlessly.  _‘yer magic’s... white? and blue. paler blue–yellow? that’s... that’s— purple? oh... whoa. yer colours... ya have a lot of colours!’_  Excitement, awe, and curiosity.

Sans tilted his head. “don’t you have them, too?” His neighbour knew magic–red monster magic. It wouldn’t surprise Sans if his neighbour was well-versed in magic.

 _‘i’m not...’_  his neighbour struggled, emotions all over the place.  _‘i’m not like ya, i think. all i remember is red magic, with the boss.’_  His neighbour sighed.  _‘no pretty colours like ya.’_  Dejected. Falling into a pit of insecurity.

Sans hurriedly tried to... push closer? Hug his neighbour? Pat his head? He wasn’t sure, but his emotions... no, his SOUL was rubbing against a presence, trying to calm him. “that’s okay. not all monsters can separate their magic. sometimes it takes a lot of time.”

 _‘...yeah, yer right. i guess...’_  his neighbour  trailed off.  _‘i guess i’m different and all. i mean. yer here, too. so. y’know. ya... ya sorta got saddled with me and my... wha’s it called? amnesia.’_

“some of it came back...”

_‘...but what if it’s not real?’_

Sans didn’t know what to say to that, so he stared some more at his reflection, trying to catch a hint of red.

Red...

“we’ll deal with it if we get there,” Sans promised quietly. He hated making promises, but this... this wasn’t something he’d encountered before. And he didn’t voice it out as a true PROMISE, so it wouldn’t create a backlash, but... integrity. He wasn’t about to abandon the person who’d been shoved inside his body without so much as a warning. “you feel real to me, so your memories are real, too.”

_‘...thanks.’_

“...you’ll go by red,” Sans decided. He’d seen his neighbour’s magic. A beautiful, vivid shade of red. So rare in the Underground, but in the past it had been used in a war. Today, it would be Papyrus’ scarf, something Papyrus would wear for his battle body in the future. “red’s a nice name. my brother likes red things, too. says it’s a very bold colour.”

_‘…a war?’_

So Sans explained to him the war and all its horrible glory, about the monsters and the humans and the need to have human SOULs to break a magic barrier.

* * *

He didn’t hear the soft footsteps moving away from the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Low-balanced mood and motivation, but I am alive.


	7. swapping jackets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> swapping jackets have never felt so...
> 
> scary.

Talking to Red helped ground him back to reality when his thoughts floated away. There were times he dissociated from a moment when he was alone, retreating back into his mind, sinking into other memories and numbly letting things flow out of time. It was usually Papyrus that kept him grounded, but even his brother had responsibilities. He couldn’t be with Sans all the time, so it was nice to have Red around when he wasn’t functioning right.

“monster kid would love my brother,” Sans told Red, a week after their magical mishap. This odd discussion started as Papyrus had darted into his room and picked him up in his excitement, exclaiming that there was a new batch of MTT products on sale at the capital before zooming out the door in a hurry.

 _‘the little yellow kid with no arms?’_ Red brought up the memory of Monster Kid, who’d been eagerly looking for Undyne in Waterfall, pleading for Sans not to tell his parents. He’d thought he was too excitable, but nice. Red didn’t know if he liked the little kid or not, and he’d said MK wasn’t that much of a character.

“yeah, that one. the kid likes to follow undyne, but i know he’ll like papyrus better.” This time, he brought out the memory of Monster Kid from one of the Surface RESETs, following his brother around and getting praised for good work by his brother. Monster Kid had never went home without a smile. “monster kid gravitates to people who have a lot of integrity and bravery. papyrus is a great example of a monster soul with those traits.” Sans had seen his brother flourish in different jobs, even if they were cut short by RESETs.

 _‘...yer bro’s a good monster to follow,_ ’ Red agreed after a contemplative silence. Papyrus did have that kind of charm, Sans mused. _‘ya heard his practiced speeches in the morning, right?’_ Red’s words were full of mirth. _‘he’s a pro at optimism.’_

He nodded, smiling softly as he looked back at the mirror. Red eyelights, still. He and Red had encountered a splash of water by a small rock kicked off into the river, earlier. His hands had grown underneath his gloves and his teeth had sharpened into fangs. He could tell there was something like smaller cracks across his sternum. They’d had to take a shortcut home because Sans wasn’t sure he looked like himself at all.

“papyrus is the type of monster that little kids admire,” Sans added. He wasn’t sure what would calm Red, but he had the experience of telling stories. “he has that really heroic charisma. Unlike other monsters, papyrus is more merciful, and his healing magic is pretty neat.”

Red softened, and Sans felt his hands decrease in size. _‘he’s a good guy,’_ Red whispered wistfully. _‘the monsters in m’world weren’t nice. but if ya and yer bro were there, it would be so much better.’_

Sans chuckled. “my brother would definitely love to be your friend.”

Red was blushing, Sans knew that when his cheekbones flushed with that red magic. _‘d’ya think so? i’m not... i’m rough, and i curse a lot, and yer bro’s like this...’_

“innocent?” Sans joked.

 _‘yeah. he’s like sunshine,’_ Red added, emotions gesturing widely. _‘clouds, and, uh, bright skies.’_

Sans smiled helplessly. “that’s the nicest description another person gave papyrus,” Sans told him. “when i was younger, i convinced everyone that he was one of the stars from the sky with how cool he was. i thought anything that came from above was something really unique.”

_‘...sunshine is technically starlight, right? and that’s what you call him…’_

He blinked. Oh. Yes, that was technically the same thing. “you’re right,” he said, and there was a hint of amusement in his voice, “that means you now know him just as i do. he’s so great that everyone knows just how bright he is. monsters underestimate him, so they’re surprised when he shows a little bit of himself.”

 _‘i’m not everyone,’_ Red sputtered. Sans laughed and shrugged, smiling sheepishly at his reflection. _‘but yeah,’_ Red admitted softly, _‘he’s a great monster, and if anyone ever tried staying in yer brain fer a second they’d know tha’.’_

“you’re the first one to notice.” Sans grinned.

 _‘i’ve been surrounded by his biggest fan,’_ Red said dryly, bringing out more laughter from Sans _. ‘don’t think i can resist being converted.’_ Red was smiling, though, so Sans thought it was good progress.

“i... yeah, i don’t know how he turned out so... good. i’m not exactly the best big brother out here.” He hadn’t done anything special. Fed his brother, made sure he went where he wanted to go, offer advice when he wanted it, made him laugh when he was trying to be serious... He didn’t know what use he was now, when he wasn’t that active, when he was sinking into the dark without Papyrus, when he wasn’t powerful enough to save his brother...

Red swelled with indignation inside him. _‘yer not useless!’_ Red growled, _‘yer fuckin’ strong, sweetheart, and tha’s it. survived all those time loops and fuckin’ dunked that little shit back to where it belonged. it’s not yer fault the timeline’s twisted. it’s that brat that can’t make up their mind, killing monsters and saving them. ya didn’t do anything wrong ta make them tha way. they’re the one messing up with shit they shouldn’t mess with.’_

It was unusual for Sans to be speechless like this. The fierce, sharp edges of Red’s words thrummed around his SOUL, soothing, caring, protective – there wasn’t a part of him that wasn’t suddenly engulfed in the depths of his conviction. It was a strong, powerful DETERMINATION to prove Sans that he wasn’t what he thought he was. There were traces of something strong and unfamiliar, but he could tell it wasn’t directed at him.

“oh,” he breathed, placing a hand on his sternum. He closed his sockets, sinking into the warmth, basking in the feeling. What an unusual sensation… He wasn’t used to feeling so strongly, so having another taste of someone’s emotions was truly an experience.

 _‘–and if i get my hands on that little brat, i’ll show ‘em a bad time for making ya lose hope that ya have a chance to get to the surface. the fuckin’ nerve of that shit brat,’_ Red snarled, emotions flickering around him like sparkling red stars. _‘i don’ fuckin’ care if they can save us all. they fuckin’ think it’s like a game to kill monsters like that.’_

“...to be fair, monsters were the ones who started capturing humans to kill them,” he softly reminded him. If humans hadn’t been hunted, they wouldn’t have this problem.

 _‘the human will still have the power to RESET,’_ Red rumbled after a short moment of thinking. _‘it’s that fucking weak king ya have, too. he has six of ‘em, right? if he uses one or more of the souls, he can go out and grab some more to power up all monsters if he’s tha fuckin’ desperate for a war.’_

“king fluffybuns doesn’t want to leave the castle for a reason unknown to us, but he has six human souls he can absorb to be godlike,” Sans conceded. “he wants seven to break the barrier, says it would be worth it.”

 _‘and he’s the fuckin’ idiot who doesn’t think possession’s a fine thing,’_ Red grumbled. _‘what kinda hypocrite is he? if he gets all those humans inside him, he’ll be fuckin’ invincible, but he’s the one who’ll let them possess him.’_

Sans echoed his agreement. “you’re right about that part. if asgore gets those souls inside him to break the barrier, that’s possession. seven human souls are more to a monster soul, so i’ll tell you about the secret behind the late prince.”

Red paused. _‘...there’s a secret about that?’_ he asked tentatively, like he wasn’t expecting an answer.

“yes. they’re trying to keep it a secret, but...” Sans sighed. “but i knew who it was. no one can keep me from reading SOULs. i’m... a little different. it wasn’t some demon that possessed the prince. when the first human died, the prince absorbed their soul, took their body up and got killed by humans. it wasn’t the prince controlling that body. it was the first human.”

Red’s magic turned cold. _‘h-how? that’s... yer humans are stronger?’_ he whispered.

“human SOULs are stronger than monster SOULs. we never got one soul out of the war,” he told him gently, “and that’s why i worry for the time that undyne finally sees how strong papyrus is, because one day, he’ll be out there to encounter a human and he’ll have to decide whether or not to kill a human because of asgore’s grief. the time my brother gains LOVE will be the day i—” Sans couldn’t even imagine what he’d do. “well, i’m not sure.”

 _‘gods,’_ Red gasped, panicking more. Sans winced. _‘not sunshine. he’s not – he’s not a killer – he’s not…  he can’t...!’_

“he never does, you know,” he revealed, remembering all the times his brother spared the human. Such a pure heart, so kind and full of love. “he always spared them. it’s the kid who’ll decide if he dies or not.”

_‘ **no!** ’_

A raging ball of emotions struck Sans, and a breathless gasp escaped him as his knees hit the floor. He swayed, eyelights blurring. His SOUL felt cold, so cold. There was a sudden dissonance, and he couldn’t gather his thoughts. His hands faltered from their grip on the sink, and he struggled to stay up, but he just couldn’t do it. so he let go. “r-red, i...”

It felt like fading, dying…

 _‘s-sans?’_ Red immediately withdrew, and called out shakily. _‘s-sweetheart, are ya okay?’_

“red,” he slurred, allowing gravity to pull him. He felt so weak, like he didn’t have a hold on himself. He struggled to get up again, but he failed, so he stayed down. He didn’t have the strength, and he was fading. “i think i’m falling asleep,” he managed to force out.

Red cried out, _‘oh gods, s-sweetheart, no, d-don’t fall asleep, i’m so sorry –’_

San’s SOUL flickered one more time before he dropped his head on the floor.

 _‘sans – sans...!’_ came Red’s panicked cries.

“i’m... okay...” He opened his sockets, seeing his blue, blue jacket turning black. What was happening? He couldn’t... think. Slowing down like the weight of the world prevented him from moving. “i...”

_‘sans–’_

———

Sans’ emotions had faded quietly in the background.

Red had blankly stared ahead as he sat up, numbly taking in his surroundings. For the first time, he was in control. He had a body, and he was sure it was his own, with his own looks, just like the times he panicked and their body changed.

He hated it.

Tears gathered at the corners of his sockets as he sobbed, calling out in his mind for his keeper, prodding carefully the emotions that had cradled him for so long.

“s-sans? s-sweetheart? can ya hear me?”

It didn’t budge.

No, no! Red grabbed his skull, breathing harshly. No, please, not Sans. Not Sans! He wouldn’t be able to take it if he... if he... Sans was a good monster, just like sunshine, like the moon that Sans had shown him, and the little twinkling stars in an open night sky. He was a calm night, soothing... quiet.

It was too quiet, so cold without Sans’ SOUL hugging him.

Red whined and looked down. He’d hoped that only part of him had taken over, but his face fell in desolation when he saw it. Even his clothes had changed. A black jacket with some yellow bars at the sleeves and a hood lined with fur. His shorts were different, too, and he wasn’t wearing slippers, he was wearing worn black sneakers.

“no...” he choked in disbelief. “not... i didn’t... s-sans...”

He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have anything to compare. The only way for Red’s features to recede was... It was Sans, telling him things, cooling him down, making him relax.

He didn’t know how to relax when Sans was out of commission. Hopefully... hopefully just sleeping and not actually dead. Hopefully Red hadn’t… that he hadn’t—

“s-sans...” He wrapped his arms around his torso, hiccupping as his tears fell. No... No... It was so quiet...

A vibration on the sink cut through his thoughts. His brows furrowed as he glanced up.

Then he saw the phone. Sans’ phone. Hastily, he stood up, dragging himself up. He peeked at it, saw that Papyrus was calling him – no, calling Sans.

Papyrus... Sans’ brother. Sans had admitted to having Papyrus near kept him grounded. Being grounded... that meant...

Red grabbed the phone in his hands, answering it.

“y-yeah?”

“BROTHER!” Papyrus greeted him brightly, completely oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t Sans. Red immediately filled with shame. “I’M CURRENTLY AT THE CAPITAL, SHOPPING FOR FOOD. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE FOR DINNER?” He was so nice, and so sweet, and it was comforting to hear his voice.

Red hunched forward and he sobbed into the receiver. “p-papyrus...” He heard Papyrus inhale sharply.

“S-Sans?”

“pa... p-papyrus, i d-don’t know w-what to do...” He was alone, and Sans was out. He didn’t know what to do! He hadn’t meant… He didn’t mean to take over. He hadn’t meant for Sans to be gone. He wanted him back. He wanted Sans back. “i-i don’t know what to do,” he whimpered, lowering himself to the ground and curling into himself. “papyrus...”

“WHERE ARE YOU?”

“t-the b-bathroom,” Red sniffled, “a-at the house.” Curled up into a ball of cowardice, what kind of monster was he? How could he have let this happen? It was his fault, all his fault. He got mad and Sans got hurt and now Sans is gone and it was his fault.

“...I’ll be there soon, brother,” Papyrus soothed, like Red deserved it. He could hear Papyrus’ boots hitting the cobbled roads of the capital with his heightened senses. “Please wait for me.”

“o-okay,” Red whispered, dragging his… Sans’ body to the corner of the room. It felt safer there, a place where he could see everything so he could protect the body… Sans’ body. If Sans came back… If Sans could come back, then he’d need his body back, right? He needed to keep it safe.

“If possible, please stay in my room,” Papyrus requested tenderly. “It will be fine. The Great Papyrus will help you.”

Red nodded shakily, and then realized Papyrus wouldn’t see. “o-okay, p-papyrus.” He believed it. Papyrus... Papyrus would make Sans come back. Papyrus was Sans’ anchor. Sunshine would help them both.

He gathered strength to get up, stumbling out of the bathroom and taking bigger steps to Papyrus’ room.

Surrounded by the familiar sight of Papyrus’ room, he planted himself on the carpet. He was scared. So scared. Papyrus would hate him, but he didn’t know what else to do. He’d deserve whatever he got from Sans’ brother. What he did was wrong, and it was his entire fault. It was all Red’s fault.

**Author's Note:**

> Mistakes are mine. Edits were done by me. ibeta my own work, so I hope you forgive me if it's not right.
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
> 
> I appreciate all the comments you leave behind. If you have any questions, I'd prefer a PM at my tumblr, but comments work too!


End file.
